Unexpected Consequences
by ChupaQueso
Summary: Don't proceed with something if you aren't prepared to face the consequences. Thief King Bakura learns this the hard way as a solo raid gone wrong puts him right into the Pharaoh's clutches. Now he must pay the price of his actions.
1. Captured

Summary: Don't proceed with something if you aren't prepared to face the consequences. Thief King Bakura learns this the hard way as a solo raid gone wrong puts him right into the Pharaoh's clutches. Now he must face the consequences of his actions, which ultimately are beyond expectation.

Pairings: Thief King Bakura and Pharaoh Atem.

Author's Note/ **Warning**: Yes here it is. The premier of my second story Unexpected Consequences. This fic is very different than Unreal Truths as it is much much darker. **The rating will jump to M very quickly for violence, cussing, torture, rape etc etc. If you are disturbed by any of the above I suggest you go and read my happier fic Unreal Truths.**This is not for the sensitive. This is also a shorter story than UT, it was just something I was inspired to do after seeing this pic - http:/medowsweet. /art/ Last-Resort-146209780 Just remove the spaces! I'm not usually a casteshipper but as you may know from UT I like a challenge. There won't be any love right off the bat, I like to make things as believable as possible so hopefully I can do it. And now, without further ado! Unexpected consequences!

**Unexpected Consequences**

**Chapter 1: Confinement**

**Thief Bakura's POV**

The thick chains holding my wrists clanked together in a mockingly musical tone as I tried to once again slip my hands free.

Giving a growl of frustration I let my arms fall limply to my sides in defeat. It was no use. Now that the palace guards had me, they weren't running the risk of letting me go.

Looking around my cell I cringed at the less than hospitable conditions. Sure I'd seen my share of rotten places as a thief but this ranked at the top.

Of course, why would they bother making the place nice and pretty for us criminals?

The sandstone floor beneath my feet doubled as both bathroom and bed. Not that it mattered anyways; I couldn't even lay down thanks to the awkward position the manacles on my hands left me in when I even attempted a sitting position.

I looked down at my feet which were shackled both together and to the wall. Yeah, I was definitely not getting out of this one very easily.

I heaved a frustrated sigh and leaned against the cold stone wall, thinking back on how all this had even resulted.

_I had gone out on a mission alone on a whim. Something I was prone to do from time to time. My men were used to their leader randomly leaving for several days at a time and returning spontaneously with a satchel full of treasures._

_Today had been different though. I thought I had covered all my bases as I descended into a randomly chosen tomb. I had scoped out the exterior on my horse and I observed the immediate area for a good amount of time to make sure the coast was clear._

_Evidently I had somehow missed the Pharaoh's men lying in wait for me._

_I had done my usual routine the same way I always had. After scouting out the area and finalizing my plan in my head, I had dismounted my horse a decent length away from the tomb and began trekking closer on foot. She would come on my whistle if things were to go wrong, otherwise the creature just paced back and forth across the sand until she saw me approach._

_I patted her nose and fed her a small chunk of apple before I began to weave my way down into the valley and sneak up to the chosen tomb. Glancing around for the final time, I confidently made my descent into the tomb's labyrinth. I didn't make it very far inside before a loud crash from behind startled me._

_My eyes widened as I saw several shadows pouring past what little light was still filtering in from the entrance and my heart leaped up into my chest. My men would have never made such a racket, and that meant only one thing. These were men from the palace._

_I looked around frantically for any place to hide but I was out of luck. The only thing to do was to race further into the tomb and hope for the best._

_So that's what I did._

_Hearing the footsteps speed up, I pushed my body harder, running as fast as I could while being as silent as possible. _

_It was near impossible to see where I was going and I found myself blindly jumping and dodging various snares and traps._

_I swallowed and quickened my pace as I heard shouting coming from behind me. They were gaining quickly and I was running out of time._

_In a last ditch desperate attempt, I turned the next corner and flattened myself against the wall, freezing completely, hoping that they would run right past and I could run back towards the entrance._

_Luck was not with me this night._

_Their footsteps became louder and louder and I took a few steps to the side and suddenly let out a jolting scream when I felt something sharp jettison out from the wall and right into my back. _

_This was it. I had just given away my location and by the feel of that stab I knew I wouldn't be able to make it out fast enough to not be noticed._

_I was finished._

_A loud shout from the head guard echoed through the corridor as I slumped to the ground. I couldn't believe it. How had this happened? How was it that this became the place that I died?_

_And yes, I would die here, but not by the pharaoh's lackey's hands._

_Slowly and surely I pulled my trusty dagger out from beneath my now bloodstained robes and smiled to myself._

_I had never been afraid of dying; it was a curious enigma that no one could escape. No matter what you did or how affluent you were, death would always get you in the end._

_Sure, you could cheat death, but you could never beat it._

_The footsteps got louder. They would be here any minute now. It was now or never._

_I let a single tear fall down my cheek. Every emotion I had ever felt was in that one drop; Sadness, despair, rage, regret, and most of all guilt. _

"_I'm sorry sister...mother, father. I tried to avenge you. Please forgive me for my failure." I muttered a quick prayer in my native dialect and slid the dagger effortlessly between my ribs._

_The pain was immediate and satisfying as I felt the blood begin pouring from the wound._

_I closed my eyes and waited for Anubis to claim me as the first soldier rounded the corner and shouted to the others that I had been found._

_Wouldn't the Pharaoh be so disappointed that I was already gone?_

_With that final thought, everything went blank._

Quite obviously I had survived that ordeal however.

How it happened I did not know. All I remember is waking up from the blackness, laying on a tattered blanket with my chest and back wrapped in clean bandages and my wrists and ankles shackled to the wall in a different room then the one I was currently in.

"_So you actually survived eh thief?"_

_I looked out towards the source of the voice to see one of the pharaoh's guards grinning down at me._

_I just scowled and turned my head towards the wall, ignoring him._

"_We weren't sure whether you would live or not." He continued on, crossing his arms and looking down at me, "Luckily we were able to stop the bleeding and get you patched up before you lost all your blood." He grinned a gap toothed smile and I groaned in light pain, "Why?"_

"_We couldn't let you die without getting some answers first."_

_Answers? Answers about what? I didn't know anything that would be worthwhile to the pharaoh, and even if I did I wasn't telling._

_I tried to sit up but hissed as a sharp pain ran through my back and into my chest and abdomen._

_I heard the guard chuckle, "Take it easy thief, we made it so you could live, not so you could stand up and walk on out of here."_

_I glared at him and he only smirked in return and walked out of the dungeons._

I had stayed in that room for a few days until I was well enough to be moved into this shithole I was in now.

I later learned I had been unconscious nearly four days and they were ready to give up and just kill me.

I would have rather they did that.

Heaving a sigh I once again looked around my holding area. Not much of a view at all. Sandstone walls and floor with shackles attached to both in varying places. There were also the steel grey bars of my cell and a torch on the outside wall. Besides that there was nothing but cold and dark desolation.

My head snapped up when I heard footsteps approach along with the tinkling of gold jewelry.

Only one person who wore that much gold would dare come down into the dungeons.

I scowled as Pharaoh Atem strutted down the corridor and came to a halt in front of my cell, "Well, well, look what my loyal guards dragged in." He gave a delighted smirk and my scowl deepened.

"I am surprised to even see you alive after what you looked like when they brought you in."

I narrowed my eyes and tugged on my chains, "Yes well I guess I owe you thanks for healing me just so I can escape and annihilate you."

Atem chuckled and crossed his arms, "By the looks of those chains I would say you're going nowhere fast Bakura."

I scowled, "You've underestimated me before Pharaoh! You know what they say don't you? Fool you once, shame on me. Fool you twice, shame on you."

The young king chuckled and clicked his tongue, "The same could be said for you as well thief." He leaned back against the wall, the torchlight casting an eerie glow on his face.

I gave a growl and tugged against the manacles again, "Just you wait Pharaoh. I will make you eat your words."

Atem shook his head and pushed off the wall walking closer to the cell bars. "Now there is no need to be nasty thief, after all, I did save your life."

"For some ulterior motive I am sure." I scoffed, "I am telling you right now though Pharaoh, you won't get a word out of me!"

He tilted his head to the side and gave me an infuriating smile, "Oh, I will learn what I want to know Bakura, mark my words."

"And what exactly is it that you would like to know Pharaoh?"

Atem cocked an eyebrow, "Why of course."

Now it was my turn to cock an eyebrow, "Why what?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously as he stalked closer to the cell and gripped the bars in his hands, "Why are you doing all of this Bakura? Why are you terrorizing my people and trying to make my life misery? I have done you no wrong!"

I couldn't help it, I laughed. "Oh that's rich Pharaoh." If I could have crossed my arms I would have, "Nothing wrong? Oh you are not innocent, far from it actually."

"Want to tell me what I supposedly did to make you so angry?"

I glared at him, my amethyst eyes narrowed to almost slits, "I don't have to tell you shit."

"I think I deserve to know."

"You deserve NOTHING!" I yanked hard against my chain and bit back a hiss as the cuff bit into my skin.

Atem merely stared at me, a patronizing look in his eyes that only pissed me off further.

I growled and flattened myself back against the wall. I had gotten emotional and given him what he wanted, a reaction.

"I think I deserve to know why you are terrorizing innocent people when it is I who you have your grudge against."

"I am not telling you shit." I swallowed hard and thought of my family. My mother, smiling as she cooked dinner and my father riding into the village on his horse, bringing gifts for my sister and I. I thought of my baby sister, always smiling and laughing and begging me to play along.

I would never see that smile again; never hear her laughter as she ran through the village calling my name...

"_Come on Bakura! Catch me if you can!"_

I shook my head. It would do me no good to get lost in the past.

Atem let go of the bars before taking a step back, "Fine. Have it your way, though you could make your final days much easier if you would just tell me."

My final days eh? So he was planning to kill me. No matter. I thought I was dead in that tomb, so facing death again didn't faze me in the least.

That was if I didn't escape first.

"Nothing you can say or do will make me tell you a thing."

"Alright." He shrugged and began walking towards the exit, "But don't think your death is going to be quick and easy. A trial is a formality at this point Bakura. For all the crimes you have committed you _will_ be put to death and I _will_ make sure you suffer as much as humanly possible. And mark my words, I will have my answer from you before Anubis drags your sorry soul off to Ammut to have it devoured. I will make sure of that."

I growled and glared at him as he turned his back and waltzed out the exit.

I went back to trying to free my hands. My men would begin to wonder where I was by now. The longest time I had ever disappeared from them was three days, and I had been in an unconscious stupor for four and in this cell for two. They would begin searching for me, I just knew it. My men were smart; they would come to the palace first, and find me. It was only a matter of time.

I allowed myself to slump into an uncomfortable sitting position, my arms held slightly upwards by the chains.

I had a second chance now. The pharaoh had made a mistake to have his men heal me just so he could ask me a question I had no intention to answer. He should have let me die, but now he was going to regret healing me.

I would just wait for my opportunity to come, and it would too, I just had to be patient.

I heard footsteps approaching once again. This time they were heavier and shuffling. Guards. And judging by the sounds there were at least three.

Sure enough, around the corner came three guards. The tallest of them threw a small chunk of bread at me and slid in a tiny bowl full of water, though most of it splashed out, "Here thief, enjoy your gourmet meal." He snickered and was joined by the other two.

I just stared at them. I would not give them any sort of satisfaction by showing any sort of response.

After realizing they weren't getting a rise out of me, the shortest guard, a young man who looked like he was about eighteen, moved forward and pointed his spear at me, "What? You're not grateful for the food we have so generously brought you? You could be eating nothing at all until your trial, and who knows how long that will be."

I blinked but did nothing else.

That pissed them off even more.

The third guard, a bit of a pudgy guy, brought out his own spear and joined the youngest in pointing it at me.

I felt a smile creep onto my face, "Is that supposed to scare me or something?"

I didn't even flinch when the youngest put his spear centimeters from my eye, "Yes."

"Well it's not."

The tallest guard had to pull the youngest back before I lost my eye. I would never admit it, but I was rather grateful for that.

The guard grunted as he tried to hold the younger back, "Hey chill out! The pharaoh wants him alive alright? We just spent the last several days trying to get the bastard healed up! Do not fuck that up got it?"

The younger grumbled but gave up his fight, "Fine…" He gave me a glare and I just gave one of my infamous smirks in return.

"We'll see whose smiling after the execution order is carried out thief."

With that, all three guards turned and walked out the same way they had come in.

I snorted then looked down at my meager rations.

I was tempted to not even eat, to save my pride and not give in to the pharaoh.

But then again I was very hungry.

Using my foot to slide the bowl and bread closer I reached my hand down to grab it.

Only to be stopped by those blasted chains.

I growled and tugged as hard as I could but it was of no use.

I should have known better than that. Looking down at the food in disdain, I gave it a hard kick and sent the bowl flying. No use in keeping it around if I couldn't eat it.

Laying my head back against the cool stone I exhaled deeply.

Any moment now my men would arrive and save me.

I hated depending on anyone else for help, but in this case I was not too proud to admit that I needed it.

I looked up at the cool, dark ceiling and talked out loud to myself, "I will get my revenge yet Pharaoh. You just wait and see."

With that said, I closed my eyes and allowed my head to slump to the side.

I hadn't realized how tired I was until just now. May as well take a rest since there was nothing better to do.

It wasn't long before I drifted off into a deep but restless sleep.


	2. Execution

A/N: After a long wait which I apologize for, here is chapter two. I really am sorry for the lack of updates but I have found it extremely hard to fit in times to write and inspiration doesn't always come at a time where I can write. So please forgive me. There is also another important note I forgot to mention in the first chapter; This fic is slightly AU. It takes place during ancient Egypt but there is not Zorc and no diabound. Kul Elna still happened but everything else with Zorc did not, it just wouldn't work with the plot I am trying to attempt. Thanks for your continued support and without further ado here is chapter 2!

**Unexpected Consequences**

**Chapter 2: Execution**

**Thief King Bakura's POV**

_Screams filled the air as I raced through the now abandoned streets of my village, scared out of my mind._

_Run Bakura, just keep running. I had to keep telling myself that as I raced towards the town's exit._

_Suddenly, however, I was pulled off of my feet and held in the air by a palace guard, "Seems like we got one trying to escape!"_

_I began squirming but it was of no use, the guard had a firm grips on the collar of my ragged robes and he began tugging me towards the opposite end of the village; away from my only escape._

_I kicked and screamed and fought to no avail. The guard had me tightly in his grasp and had no plans of letting me go._

_My eyes widened as we descended down into the chambers where I had saw my family and friends herded into a boiling cauldron._

"_NO!" I cried out and gave one last desperate lunge for the exit but the guard held on firmly._

"_It's no use fighting kid, just give it up."_

_My eyes widened as I was dragged down the same path my mother, father and sister had been earlier and the guard held me precariously over the bubbling concoction, "Rest in peace thief spawn." With that he let go and I went tumbling into the boiling hot substance._

I woke up screaming and in a cold sweat, my whole body shaking with fear and tear stains on my cheeks.

Looking around I managed to take in my surroundings and get a grip on reality, not that it was much better than the nightmare.

I sighed and shook my head to try and clear it and just breathe in and out.

I didn't have much time to recover though before I heard a large number of people come tramping down the stairs leading to the dungeon.

I felt my stomach drop as I realized that this was probably it. They were coming to take me to sentencing.

Bracing myself against the chains, I looked outwards and prepared the nastiest glare I could muster. I would not go out looking like a weakling.

The first person to round the corner was that blasted high priest Seto with two guards at his flank.

Of course he would be the one to come and fetch me.

They stopped in front of my cell and Seto took out his millennium rod and pulled the dagger end free from the sheath, "Get up thief."

I don't know why I did it, but I listened and slowly got to my feet, never taking my eyes away from Seto and his two lackeys.

His one eyebrow raised in surprised, clearly he was as shocked as I was that I had actually obeyed.

The priest seemed to have been expecting a fight, and now that I hadn't given him one, he seemed at a loss for what to do next.

It didn't take him long to recover, however and the next thing I knew his two guards had swarmed my cell and began unchaining me from the wall.

Seto gave me a cold leer and his lips twitched in an almost imperceptible smile, "You're making the right choice thief. The better you behave, all the more easier and quickly your death will be." He nodded to the guards and we began the walk to the throne room in relative silence.

I kept my head down, eyes trained on the tiles beneath my feet, counting each step we took and occasionally glancing up to pick out landmarks just in case I managed to make an escape, unlikely as that seemed now.

Soon we reached a large set of double wooden doors accented with gold; the entrance to the throne room. I took in a deep breath as Priest Seto moved forward and pushed both doors open in a rather dramatic fashion.

Always with the theatrics these people.

I was walked up to the throne and shoved to my knees, where the pharaoh sat in comfort, staring down at me with a smug look on his face.

The other five guardians gathered around him, brandishing their millennium items and staring me down with firm glares.

I met each of their glares with one of my own and squared my shoulders before meeting the pharaoh's eyes last.

Atem narrowed his eyes and stood up, striding down the steps so he could stand right in front of me. "Bakura Tozokuo, King of thieves and rogues, you have been charged with the following crimes!" He waved his hand and one of his other guardians came forward, Mahaad I believe, and unraveled a rather long scroll.

Mahaad cleared his throat and glanced at me before reading the charges off the scroll in a harsh tone, "Bakura Tozokuo, you are hereby charged with the following crimes: Attempted murder, murder, robbery, rape, assault and treason. What is your plea?"

I made sure to stare the pharaoh right in the eye as I gave my reply, "Guilty on all charges _your highness._"

Atem gave a low and dangerous growl and pointed at me harshly, "Then you are hereby sentenced to death by exposure! So let it be written so let it be done!"

An immense silence fell over the court and even I was shocked to hear the verdict. Exposure? Now that was one I had never heard before.

The only priestess of the bunch stepped forward, her face portraying the perfect expression of shock, "E…Exposure your highness?"

Atem spared her a glance before looking back at me with a maniacal smirk on his face, "Yes Isis, exposure. I want to have our Thief King taken out into the barrens of the desert, tied to a pole and left there to die." He crossed his arms, still staring at me, "He will be provided with enough food and water to not die of starvation of dehydration, I want his death to be more gruesome than that."

"You're sick." I couldn't help it, what this man was suggesting was the most horrid thing I had ever heard of in all my years and I had heard and even done some pretty horrible things.

"Luckily," He continued on as if I had never spoken, "My dear priest Aknadin has volunteered to pick out a place and set up the structure ahead of time so we may waste not another moment before your execution."

I didn't think my stomach could drop any lower, but it did and the abrupt reality of the situation came crashing down around me.

If I had eaten anything in the past few days it would have ended up on the floor in front of me in that moment.

Atem's voice shot through my head and interrupted my frantic thoughts, "Guards, take him away to his new desert home. I want guards on him at every hour and rotate every five. I don't want him alone for any amount of time, understand me?"

A chorus of 'Yes my king' followed and I was roughly pulled back to my feet.

I didn't even bother to struggle, I was in too much shock to do anything more than stare blankly at the ground ahead of me.

This was it. This was really, really it. Who would have thought the king of thieves was mortal?

"Maybe, thief king, if you decide to give me an answer to my question I asked you oh so long ago, something else can be arranged."

I turned my head and glared at Atem, who had his arms crossed and a haughty expression on his face, "I have no answer for you, and I never will."

He gave a graceful roll of his shoulders and smirked, "Have it as you will, though you may change your mind after a few days at the stake, though by then it may be too late." He waved his hand dismissively and a rope was put around my hands and neck and I was pulled towards the exit.

I gagged as the rope constricted around my throat and the guards once again made a game out of trying to get me to fall on my face, though they continued to fail miserably.

Once we got out of the palace and into the hot desert air, the guards mounted horses and situated themselves in a square formation around me.

I knew that if I had any hope of escaping, this would be the moment, though it didn't seem likely, especially since I now had four armed guards on me instead of merely two.

I squinted against the bright sunlight as we began making our way away from the palace and capital city and further into the unforgiving sands of the desert of Egypt.

I tested the ropes that held my wrists together, but they were tight and would budge, not that it mattered since the cuffs were tightly biting into my skin, preventing any slippage.

I heaved a helpless sigh and gave up; it was no use, not with all these guards on me anyways. Maybe I would get a chance once we got to the place of execution. The guards may start to slack off after a couple of days and that would give my men a chance to come in and make a rescue attempt.

Finally, after an hour of walking, we arrived at our destination. My guts clenched as I looked up at the sight before me.

Two tall poles had been set up about two arm lengths apart from one another. A third pole was sat atop the other two and from it dangled several chains. Simplistic enough, but this seemingly harmless device would be the instrument of my demise if I didn't figure something out and quick.

I dug my heels deeply into the sand once we came to a stop and a thrust my body backwards, yanking against the ropes and chains, successfully pulling one of the guards off of his horse.

I cried out as one of the other guards slid off his horse and whipped me across the face with his spear, probably adding yet another scar to my collection.

The guard chuckled and the other two joined in, dismounting and pulling me over to the small structure.

Just then, Priest Seto, the Pharaoh and the young priestess from earlier rode up on their own horses. Great, just what I wanted, the Pharaoh and his pet priest here to mock me further.

I stumbled as one of the guards gave me a hard shove and I nearly fell into the one vertical pole.

"Alright thief, here's how it's going to work."

I turned my head and Priest Seto had that blasted millennium rod out again and was pointed it directly at me.

"Tie his hands above his head to the top pole."

Two of the guards grabbed my arms and began to pull them over my head but I refused to go down so easily.

I twisted in their grasp and purposefully fell to the ground yanking hard against the ropes, managing to knock one guard off balance and pull the other one down with me.

I heard Priest Seto let out a loud shot and more guards came rushing down on me, "Come on you imbeciles! Get him up there!"

I gave a triumphant smirk when I kicked my left foot out and felt it connect with the guard nearest to it making him cry out in pain.

"Do I have to do everything myself around here."

I felt the cold hands of Priest Seto grasp my bound wrists and the dagger end of the millennium rod was pressed against my adam's apple, "Listen thief, I have no qualms about killing you right now, but I want you to suffer. However, don't think that doesn't mean I can make your life a living nightmare before you even get up on that pole, hear me?"

I gave a low growl in my throat as response and Seto "hn'd", pulling me to my feet and hoisting my hands over my head, rod still pressed to my throat.

Several of the downed guards scrambled to their feet and rushed over to us, beginning to tie the chains dangling from the top pole around my wrists.

Seto nodded approvingly and then gestured downwards with his free hand, "Don't forget his feet."

The other two guards approached and grabbed my ankles before I could do anything, holding them down so the other two, now finished with my hands, could begin work on my feet.

I growled and tried to pull away but to no avail. Shackles were clasped tightly around my ankles and attached to small but secure hooks in the ground, effectively immobilizing me.

Priest Seto and the guards stepped back while the Pharaoh came forward, a satisfied smirk on his face, "Very nice, very nice indeed. Still, it's not quite finished." He gave me a cruel smirk and nodded to the tallest guard he gave a dark smirk in return before pulling out a large dagger and approaching me.

I didn't make any move as he approached, not that I could if I wanted to anyways, and he gave me a smile that made my gut clench.

The guard then gently scraped his dagger against my already tattered kilt and chuckled lightly, "What good is exposure if you aren't exposed hm?"

My eyes widened in shock and embarrassment as he slashed the dagger's blade downward, cutting the thin linen cloth right off, completely exposing me to the elements, and successfully shattering any dignity I had left.

Atem chuckled at my expression and clicked his tongue, "Not so tough now are we thief king."

I narrowed my eyes and decided to play their game, "What? Are you jealous Pharaoh? I knew you had to be overcompensating for something with that ego of yours." I turned my head upwards cockily, "Keep staring and memorize it so your dreams will be accurate tonight." I chuckled as Atem reacted precisely the way I planned, face paling and a dark blush grew on his cheeks.

He gave a low growl then strode up to me, smacking me hard across the face, "You're going to regret those words thief."

"What are you going to do Pharaoh? _Execute_ me?"

"No, something better." He got a devilish smirk on his face and turned to one of his own palace guards, "Elio, give our exalted thief king twenty lashes as a parting gift from me." He then turned back to me and grabbed my chin between his fingers and thumb, giving it a harsh squeeze, "I hope your death is long and agonizing."

I scowled and spit at him, "I wish the same for your life _Pharaoh._"

He stumbled back and hastily wiped at his face, "Fifty lashes! And no food and drink until tomorrow night!"

With that final command he turned on his heel and walked to his horse, mounting it and looking to each of the first four guards on duty, "I don't care what you do to him, just don't kill him." He spared me one last dirty glance before riding off against the sun and back to the palace.

I scowled and glared at his back until he was out of sight. Spoiled brat was unfit for ruling a kingdom.

I was suddenly yanked out of my thoughts as a sharp pain erupted along my back; seemed like our dear Elio was fulfilling his duty.

Biting my tongue to hold back any screams, I relaxed my muscles as much as I could in order to cut back on the pain of the whip.

Not that it did much at all.

"Enjoying that thief? You only have 45 more to go!"

I bit back a scream as Elio increased the pace and force and I could feel the blood trickling down the back of my legs.

The other guards had gathered around to watch, taunting and laughing at me, but it didn't matter, my vision and hearing were dulled from the pain and blood loss already and I was beginning to lose focus.

"Ey, careful Elio, don't want to kill em' now."

I blinked slowly as one of the guards came forward and tilted my chin up so he could get a better look at my face, "I'd say he's about ready to pass out as it is."

"Well then I guess I better finish quickly then hm?" Elio's voice rang out from behind me and I felt him increase the whipping until finally the pain stopped, "There. All done." He chuckled and walked around so I could see him, the whip dripping with blood; my blood.

"Don't die on us yet thief. The fun has only just begun." Elio gave me a smarmy grin and the other guards chuckled as my vision darkened and faded to black as I thankfully passed out.


	3. Abuse

**A/N: Right of the bat I am giving a WARNING! There is abuse and rape in this chapter, don't like then don't read. Sorry for the long delay in updating, this was a hard chapter to write for obvious reasons.**

**And note: The Atem part takes place another day after Bakura's rape. I tried to make it obvious on its own but I wanted to be clear. Okay, read on my faithful readers!**

**Unexpected Consequences**

**Chapter 3: Abuse**

**Thief King Bakura's POV**

By the time I regained consciousness it was well into the next day, the sun high overhead and beating down on my beaten and bruised body, burning my skin and stealing my breath away, the hot and dry air hard to breathe.

I slowly lifted my head and squinted against the sun, eyes finding it hard to adjust.

There were four guards surrounding me, one at each cardinal direction and facing outward, hands resting lightly on the hilts of their swords.

Once my eyes fully adjusted, I turned my head to get a better view, although there wasn't anything there to see.

There was nothing but miles and miles of sand swept desert and hilly dunes in all directions, except in the north, where the palace walls could be faintly seen off in the distance.

Taking in a shuddering breath, I weakly lifted my head and swallowed, trying to wet my mouth with anything I could. Unfortunately my mouth was as dry as the desert around me and I couldn't so much as spit if I wanted to.

"Well look who's finally awake."

I wearily turned my head to the side as the burly guard at the east polar turned to look at me.

"We didn't think you would make it through the night, which would have been a damn shame. I would have been pissed if our play thing would have been ruined before we even got a chance to have any fun."

My weary mind tried to wrap around the meaning of his words with very little success. It kept getting stuck on the words 'play thing' and 'fun'.

Instead of giving him a response, I let my head sink down against my chest and moaned lightly. I never anticipated it being this difficult to hold onto my strength.

The guard snorted and I saw him move out of the corner of my eye.

"Don't tell me you've given up already?"

I once again let nothing but silence hang between us as I stared at the bloody and messy sand beneath my feet.

"Hmph, who would have guessed the great thief king would have given up after only one day out in the elements?"

I knew he was baiting me, which was exactly why I still didn't answer him.

The guard gave a growl and smacked my face hard and when I didn't respond yet again, he grabbed my face in his hand and jerked it upward, "You're making me angry thief, and you don't want me angry."

I rolled my eyes and earned another hard smack to the face.

By now we had fully attracted the attention of the other guards and they had all turned around to look at us.

I just ignored them and turned my attention back to the ground, finding it far more interesting than the disgusting pigs in front of me.

"Look at me thief."

He forced my head up so that I was looking into muddy brown eyes and greasy hair. I narrowed my eyes and spat right on his crooked nose.

The guard hissed in disgust and slapped my face hard, "That's it! I will make you suffer for that."

"Good luck with that, I'm pretty sure I am maxed out on suffering." I was disgusted by how raspy my voice sounded, but I wasn't going to let him see how it affected me.

The look the guard gave me, however, made my stomach drop and I instantly regretted my words as he snickered and motioned to the other guards, "You hear that boys? He doesn't think we can make him suffer any more than he already is."

A dark chuckle resonated through the group and crooked nose gave me a dirty smirk, "We are going to have fun proving you wrong thief king."

My eyes widened as each guard exchanged a look and began undressing one by one.

This was not a good situation.

I froze when I felt hands touch my back and slide slowly down and then cup my ass.

I tried to jerk to the side but the chain kept me firmly in place, that, and I was just too weak from the blood loss and lack of water to really do anything.

The guard behind me chuckled darkly before whispering in my ear, "You're ours now."

With that, I felt him slide his hands down my thighs then back up, rubbing his fingers against my entrance.

I hissed and once again tried to pull away, but ole crooked nose was at my front, and he wasted no time in pressing himself against me and grabbing my member firmly in his hands, "Now, now, no squirming."

I narrowed my eyes at him and another guard, a younger one with blonde hair, walked up and pulled out a rag, "As much as I would like to hear the full force of your screams of pleasure, we can't afford to have you bite any of us or spit."

Trying to pull back with no avail, I could only struggle slightly as the young blonde shoved the rag into my mouth and tied it behind the back of my head.

"Good thinking Hori."

My breath hitched as crooked nose began to stroke my length firmly and giving me this perverted grin the whole time.

These fuckers were going to die a very slow and painful death if I ever got out of here.

Suddenly a sharp and intrusive pain shot up from my lower back and all the way up my spine as the guard behind me thrust inside without warning.

I couldn't help it, I screamed against the rag, the pain burning as it traveled all up my back.

I heard the guard behind me chuckle and felt his breath on my neck as he leaned his head down next to mine, "Nice and tight, who woulda thought the king of thieves would be so perfect."

I gave a low growl through the makeshift gag, giving my deepest and darkest glare to Hori, since he was the one directly within my line of sight.

Hori chuckled and gave me a dirty leer, "I can't wait until it's my turn."

I so wished I could wipe that stupid smirk off his face, but I was completely immobile. Never before in my life had I felt so helpless.

It was such a despairing feeling and I didn't like it one bit.

I groaned in a mixture of pain and pleasure as crooked nose, or Mehkil as he would become to be known as, rubbed me with firm and deliberate strokes.

Mehkil gave a low laugh and squeezed me, "Hear that boys? I do detect a moan of pleasure in that tone…perhaps we should fix that." He looked behind me his eyes flashing.

"Make him scream Saleem."

My eyes widened as I felt Saleem almost completely pull himself out before slamming back inside me with so much force I felt like I was going to throw up. The pain became so intense that I began seeing spots and the world tilted a bit.

Saleem gave a dark laugh and thrust again and again, each time the pain increasing more and more until I could no longer tell where it was coming from.

It didn't take long before I zoned out, having screamed myself hoarse without even realizing it. Everything had melded together into one giant pain and I barely noticed the passing of time or the switching of men as they took turns taking advantage of me.

Finally, after how long I didn't know, their movements ceased and the men moved away, putting their armor back on and congregating around me, cocky smirks on their flushed faces.

Mekhil tapped my cheek, panting lightly, "Thanks for that thief, didn't know you could be so generous."

I just stared blankly at him, my mind far gone from the situation. I wouldn't have been able to say anything even if I wanted.

"Aw, I think we broke him." Mekhil chuckled and turned away after removing my gag, slowly walking back to his post, "This isn't the end of this thief, know that."

I merely let my head drop, my gaze settling on the sand beneath my feet, now covered in blood and other disgusting bodily fluids.

I was going to die here in the hot desert sand as a broken and feeble criminal, no longer the almighty thief king I once was.

This was the end, and part of me was okay with that.

Slowly, I closed my eyes and let the hot sun bake me alive as I fell unconscious once more.

* * *

**Atem's POV**

I woke up in a cold sweat, sitting straight up in my bed, my covers kicked off to the side, half fallen onto the floor.

I shakily wiped my brow and looked around, trying to catch my breath.

That had been the third nightmare in the past two days that involved that blasted thief king.

What was going on?

Slowly, I moved from my bed, grabbing my royal garb and hurriedly putting it on.

There was only one person who could give me then answers I sought.

I made my way down the hall, briskly walking to my destination and knocking briefly on the wooden door before me. "Isis…I need to speak with you."

The door opened a few moments later and my priestess stood before me, a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes, "Pharaoh, I have been expecting you."

"I should have figured as much." I nodded my head and Isis moved to the side so I could enter her room.

She shut the door once I was inside and walked over to her bed, sitting down on the end of it, "So what brings you to my door my king?"

"I think you already know Isis." I walked over to the far wall and leaned against it.

"I thought that maybe you would want to tell me yourself." She smiled and followed me with her eyes.

I shook my head no and met her gaze with my own, "No, we may as well not waste any time here."

"Alright then." She raised her hand and brushed it gently against the millennium necklace, "You're here about the thief king."

I knew she knew why I was here, but I still felt a small jolt of surprise at her statement, "Yes…he has been on my mind a lot these past few days."

She nodded, eyes urging me to go on.

Heaving a small sigh I continued on, "Something bothers me about him. I don't know what. I mean, I am angry at his pompous attitude and arrogance, and he is a criminal who is fully deserving of the punishment being bestowed upon him but…" I stopped, unable to think of what I wanted to say next.

"But there is a nagging feeling in the back of your mind telling you that you're wrong about all of this?"

I sighed and gave a light nod, to which Isis chuckled.

"I don't know Isis, I don't understand it at all…He has even invaded my dreams." I looked down to the floor, my eyes narrowing in thought.

"What are the dreams like? She tilted her head slightly to the left.

"Just…he's usually just standing there, looking at me with a very sad expression with his body bleeding and naked…He reaches out for me, though he never moves closer…he just stands there, staring at me." I swallowed hard, the image had been chilling.

"Where was the blood coming from?"

I blinked and looked at Isis, "Oh I don't know…it seemed to be everywhere…"

She took in a small breath and let it out in a sigh, "You try talking to him in the dreams?"

I nodded, "But he never says anything, just gives me that despairing look."

"He is suffering now then…more than you anticipated."

"Well good." I nodded firmly and clenched my fists, "he deserves everything he is getting."

She shook her head, "No pharaoh, he is a suffering innocent, whose spirit has come to you in your dreams to ask for your intervention."

"He is hardly innocent!" I felt my anger start to stir, but somewhere deep inside, something was fluttering at her words.

Isis shook her head and met my gaze, "He is not deserving of the fate you have bestowed onto him, and because of this, when he dies, his ba will forever haunt this palace, and your dreams."

"That makes no sense!" I stood back up; panic beginning to set in as her words reached my heart.

"It makes perfect sense my king. Bakura is an innocent who has become corrupted by forces beyond his control. He has the potential for good, but he needs a little push. Though, he may never see that chance of salvation because of your choice."

"It's not my fault he chose to be a criminal!"

She shook her head, "But it will be your fault that he cannot redeem himself in the face of the gods."

"So you're saying I should let him go?" I began to feel a sense of dread and unease rise up into my stomach.

"I am saying that he deserves another chance."

"I don't understand Isis, why are you defending him?" I turned to my priestess, eyes wide in my disbelief.

"I have seen things my pharaoh."

"And yet I assume you won't tell me what those things are?" I resumed my pacing of the room, not believing the thief king was still on my thoughts. It had been two days! He should be the farthest thing from my mind.

But, he wasn't. For some reason I couldn't get that blasted criminal off my mind and Isis was exasperating the situation with her talk of his supposed innocent.

"I think you should get your answers from the thief king himself." She looked up at me from her seat on her bed, her robes drawn close to her body.

"I already tried that." I paused and took a deep breath, looking out the small high opening in the wall that served as a window, "He won't tell me anything."

"You just haven't asked in the right way." She smiled knowingly, her eyes tracking my every moment.

I ran my fingers through my hair and walked over to and sat on the bed as well, my anger almost completely gone as if by magic, "Isis, he is a cold blooded killer."

"He is a little boy who lost everyone and everything he once held dear."

I frowned deeply, "And that justifies his actions?"

Isis shook her head slowly, "No, there are no excuses for his actions, but there are reasons."

"Those are one in the same."

She chuckled lowly and gave me a smirk, "Only if you cannot handle the distinction."

With that she stood up and began walking towards the door.

"What should I do Isis?" I felt confusion flooding my eyes, and I imagined I looked very much like the young teen I really was, rather than the strong king who ruled Egypt.

"That, my pharaoh, is something you must decide on your own. Listen to your heart and let it speak to you, only then will you know what to do."

She left then, leaving me lost to my thoughts.

I had a lot of thinking to do, and I had a feeling none of it was going to be pleasant.


	4. Realizations

** A/N: Oh man, almost a year since the last update…No excuses, though college has eaten my life and I have been focused on finishing Unreal Truths, which the final chapter should be up soon enough. It's hard to find inspiration anymore, but I am trying my best to get these fics done and done well. I hope you enjoy and aren't too mad at me! Much love!**

**Unexpected Consequences**

**Chapter 4: Realizations**

**Atem's POV**

I didn't know what to think and it was really beginning to frustrate me to no end.

Pacing the floor as I had the past week, I thought once again to what Isis had said that day in her room.

I had considered going to the execution site and talking to the thief several times now but I could never bring myself to do it. I wasn't sure why, I just know that every time I thought of it I got a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Giving a light groan, I turned and walked out into the hallway.

I needed to get some answers and it seemed like I was going to have to work for it.

Walking down the long corridors, I entered the library and looked upon the masses upon masses of scrolls.

This was going to be a very, very long day.

* * *

"My Pharaoh?"

I groaned lightly as a feminine voice pierced my sleep.

"…Pharaoh?" This time the voice was accompanied by a strong prod and I gave another groan as I was forced to open my eyes.

I had fallen asleep during an exhausting search into a scroll I had found hidden deep within the library, and really, it's discovery had been an accident as I was reaching for another scroll on top of a tall shelf.

It turned out that this scroll was the key to unlocking a plethora of information on Bakura, but I still had one more source to prod.

Finally I heaved a small sighed and lifted my head, bleary eyes focusing on the female who had woken me up.

Isis was standing across from me, a patient and bemused look on her face.

"My Pharaoh, everyone is wondering where you are, you missed the petitioning this evening."

That made me sit up straighter, giving Isis a panicked look, "Has it really been that long?"

"No worries my king, Seto took care of everything for you." Isis gave me a knowing smirk and leaned against the edge of the table, tapping the all-important scroll I had been reading with her finger.

"Though I believe my king had more important things to attend to, no?"

Of course she was right and I nodded, picking up the scroll and tucking it into my robes, "It has revealed more questions than answers I am afraid, but at least now I have something to go on."

Isis smiled and nodded as I walked to the doorway, pausing slightly before I left.

"Thank you Isis, I am sure I will be needing your assistance again soon enough."

My priestess gave a knowing chuckle as I left, a determined look on my face as I went to face the person who held most of the answers I sought; Aknadin.

Everything I was learning about the source of the thief's issues with me all seemed to point to my priest and I was determined to figure out why.

If anything, Isis had helped me to realize that Bakura wasn't doing this out of pure spite, he was doing it for a reason. Granted I didn't know what that reason was, but I wanted to find out and if I had made a mistake then I wanted to correct it.

I would not let my reputation as pharaoh rest in the hands of a reckless priest.

I was sure that no one would really care if Bakura died for some stupid mistake, but I did. No one deserved that sort of thing, not even the thief.

It didn't matter who it was, I was not going to let someone die for something beyond their control.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say as I traveled down the halls to Aknadin's chambers, taking in a deep breath before firmly knocking on the door.

"Come in."

Opening the door, I stopped just inside the doorway and peered into the room as my priest bustled around doing different things. Finally he paused to look and see who had dare disturbed him and his eyes widened almost comically as he recognized my silhouette.

"My king! I did not know you were coming! Please forgive me!" He immediately walked over, inclining his head low.

"It's fine Aknadin, really." I waved my hand dismissively and walked past him into the room, "I just have many troubling thoughts on my mind, and I am hoping that you may be able to help me out with some of them."

He looked slightly puzzled before reigning in his expression, "Well then what is it I can help you with my king?"

I took in a deep breath and leaned against the far wall, "I came to ask you about the thief king."

"The thief king? Why so?" He stayed standing near the door way, face paling slightly.

"Well, this past week I have done a lot of thinking and digging Aknadin, and there are just some things about Bakura that don't add up to me…" I frowned and looked at him and I swear I saw him begin to sweat.

"Like what my king?"

"Well…" I gently cupped the puzzle around my neck, "The millennium items, how were they created?" I looked at him, my gaze firm and unwavering.

Aknadin squirmed a bit, his voice a bit shaky as he responded, "Well, we used a spell from the millennium spell book and-"

I cut him off, "I know, but which spell did you use Aknadin?"

"My king I-"

"Which spell Aknadin?" I gave him a dark look that clearly said 'do not make me ask again'.

He gave a sigh and frowned, "As you wish my king…It was a spell that required the sacrifice of 99 souls, and in order to harvest the souls we needed human sacrifices…" He trailed of and I felt my face flush in anger.

"Continue…" I crossed my arms and my glare intensified.

"Well…erm…we had found a village on the outskirts of the city whose inhabitants were thieves, their spirits filled with evil-"

"And I suppose you had proof of these supposed evil spirits?" I cocked an eyebrow, his story sounding shady already.

"Please my pharaoh, they had been raiding our tombs and causing trouble-"

"So you have no proof to back up your claim?"

Aknadin looked distressed, "But my king I just gave you proof!"

"I hardly call word of mouth proof." I sighed and bowed my head, it was becoming clearer to me what had happened and I was becoming sickened by my priest's words.

"My king it had to be done…those people-"

"Children Aknadin?" I was quickly losing my cool and it was not boding well for the man in front of me, "Children deserved to die? How can you even fathom to think that?"

"My king listen-"

"Bakura was one of them, wasn't he?" I felt my eyes flash in anger, "Bakura was born in Kul Elna and you just happened to miss him and he escaped, but not before watching his family get murdered by what is now my royal guard!"

Yeah I was losing my cool, and I was losing it fast.

"Pharaoh I-"

"That's why Bakura has been hell bent on ruining my life, because of something you did! He didn't deserve to watch his family be murdered any more than he deserves to be out in the Egyptian desert dying because he wanted to avenge his family!"

Aknadin opened and shut his mouth several times before falling completely silent, "I apologize my pharaoh."

"I'm not the only one you should be apologizing to Aknadin." I began walking towards the door, my mind finally made up about what I was going to do.

"Where are you going my king?"

I didn't even glance back as I walked out the doorway, "To correct a mistake that never should have been made."

* * *

**Bakura's POV**

I was dying, I realized with a sudden clarity.

My body was not going to be able to take much more of this abuse.

Granted the guards hadn't got it into their pea sized brains to rape me again, I was still feeling that first time.

My body ached all over and was stiff from the lack of movement. I doubted that even if I was let go I would be able to go anywhere. My muscles were slowly wasting away from the lack of use and sustenance.

I took in a shuddering breath and even that simple action shot ripples of pain throughout my entire body.

Yeah, I was most definitely dying.

Hori looked over to me, his eyes betraying the pity and guilt he felt.

Surprisingly, Hori was almost as affected by the assault as I was. I could tell he felt bad about the whole thing and though what granted this sudden change of heart was a mystery to me, it helped to know he felt something.

Whenever he could, Hori would slip me some extra water or even a piece of bread when the others weren't paying attention, and he always whispered an apology under his breath as he did.

For that I granted him my forgiveness. Hori couldn't help it, he was the youngest of the guards and he was probably just caught up in the moment. As long as he was sorry I was willing to forgive.

Hell, the kid would have made a good thief.

I smiled to myself as I realized my mind was wasting away along with my body and I was beginning those internal ramblings of the mad. It wouldn't be long now before I began talking out loud and then all would be lost.

I let my mind wander back to better times. Back when I was still a child and my mother would cook my favorite meal when I was feeling sad about my father leaving on a raid, or in celebration of his return.

The thought of my father warmed my heart considerably and for a moment I could pretend I was home with him, practicing hunting rather than tied to this pole and left to die.

Suddenly I felt a cough begin to build in my chest and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying my hardest to keep it from coming up because I knew the pain it would inflict.

I groaned and gave in, the cough spreading throughout my entire body and causing every bone and muscle in my body to erupt in a sharp pain.

Hori turned, his eyes widening as they locked onto mine and I could tell he so desperately wanted to help.

Finally the cough ended and Hori did approach me, much to the distaste of Mehkil.

"Hori what are you doing."

Poor Hori froze in his tracks and looked up at Mehkil with a guilty look on his face, "He obviously needs some water."

"Who cares?" Mehkil gave me a nasty look, "I don't think the pharaoh minds if he dies or not now. This _is_ an execution after all."

Hori gave me one last look before turning back to his post with a dejected look on his face.

Mehkil scowled before walking over to me, "How about I make you a deal thief?" He smirked and got right into my face his breath stinking and fowl.

"What kind of deal?" I decided to humor him, and to be honest I was surprised that I could even talk.

"I know you're sick of hanging there in this hot sun all day and suffering, and we're all sick of standing out here on guard, so I was thinking why not do us bother a favor?"

I frowned deeply, "And what kind of _favor_ are you talking about?"

I saw Hori move slightly out of the corner of my eyes, a frown on his face.

"I say we have one more fun time…" Mehkil ran his hand down my back and tapped my bottom, "And if your good and take it as well as last time, we'll kill you quickly."

"This only seems to benefit you." I frowned deeply, weakly pulled away from him.

"But you get to die a quick and easy death instead of sitting out here to bake until you finally keel over." Mehkil chuckled deeply and reached around to my front, "Though, it's not as if you get a choice in the matter."

"I didn't figure." I growled as Mehkil grabbed my member firmly and the other guards began to gather around once again.

Well, all except one.

"Stop it!"

I blinked in shock as Hori pushed through Saleem and the guard whose name I never learned, "Stop it right now!"

Mehkil cocked an eyebrow and turned to slowly look at the young blonde, "Do you have something to say Hori?"

"Are we seriously this depraved that we have to take sex from an already bruised and beaten criminal? I mean come on, isn't he pathetic enough?"

"Thanks Hori, you make me feel so much better about myself." I rolled my eyes and Mehkil thankfully let me go and walked out around to face Hori directly.

He shot me an apologetic look and my eyes widened when Mehkil smacked him hard across the face, "Have you gone soft on us Hori?"

Hori stumbled back, his face displaying the same shock I felt, "N…no I just."

"You just what, Hori? Feel sorry for the thief king? Think he deserves better than this?" Mehkil's eyes turned dangerous and he and the others began to crowd around him instead.

"N…No I…I just…" His eyes widened in fear as the guards continued stripping around him.

I knew where this was heading and I was helpless to stop it. Though to be perfectly honest I wouldn't stop it even if I could. Hori needed to know what it was like for me that first night. It wasn't like he tried to stop it then.

That did nothing to quell the sickening feeling in my stomach from rising as the guards surrounded Hori and pinned him to the ground.

I took in a deep shuddering breath and let my head hang, no longer having the strength to keep it up. I had foolishly spent my energy on speaking to Mehkil and now I had nothing left for myself.

Exhaling softly I thought that if I could just slip away right now it would be perfect.

However the gods were not that kind.

So instead, I silently listened as the other guards began their assault on Hori, his screams echoing across the dry desert air.

Better him than me I suppose.

Mehkil's grunts mixed in with Hori screams and I felt bile rise in my throat, though there was nothing in my stomach to throw up.

Hori's torment didn't last nearly as long as mine, however, because as soon as Saleem began his assault, I saw movement out of the corner of my eyes.

A caravan was coming, several horses trotting at a study pace coming from the direction of the palace.

Well what do you know, the pharaoh had arrived.


	5. Rescue

A/N: I have no excuse other than my inspiration has completely left me. I am so sorry guys. I am going to finish this fic though I swear. Just sorry if the quality and length isn't all there like I originally intended. I promise to try and make this as good as possible. Anyways, on to chapter 5!

* * *

Unexpected Consequences

Chapter 5: Rescue

Atem's POV

I couldn't believe my eyes as I approached the execution site.

Three of the guards had pinned the youngest of the group to the ground and were viciously raping him before my very eyes.

What kind of hired help did I have?

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" My voice boomed, ringing across the desert air and causing the lead guard to jump and stumble back.

"M….my king! We weren't expecting your arrival!" The fumbling guard quickly snatched up his kilt and threw it on, getting as much distance between me and the victim as possible.

"That much is obvious." I let my voice show just how displeased I was by all this and the other two guards finally got enough sense to jump back and away from me, joining their comrade.

I walked over to the young guard who had remained motionless except for his sobs since my arrival.

"Hey you okay?" I gently touched his back and felt bad as he flinched and shook.

Quickly I glared at the other guards, feeling somewhat satisfied as they shrunk back under my gaze, "Why would you do such a thing?!"

"It was either me or him…" I looked down in shock as the young man spoke up softly, his voice hoarse and barely louder than a whisper.

"Him?" I was puzzled, what was he talking about.

The young guard turned his head to look at me, and then his eyes moved to a spot behind me, "Bakura."

Bakura. I had nearly forgotten about the thief thanks to the antics of these morons.

Slowly I stood up and turned around, turning my gaze to the thief for the first time in almost two weeks.

I inhaled deeply; his time out in the elements was definitely showing.

Bakura feebly raised his head, the sudden silence must have caught his attention and his eyes weakly met mine before he let his head drop to his chest and I took the chance to assess the damage.

The thief's normally bronze skin had turned a sickly pale, despite the extensive amount of time he had spent in the sun. There were blisters and burns from the heat all over his body and the whip marks on his back still looked fresh, the skin around them red and inflamed. He had lost nearly all his body fat, not that he had much to begin with, but now he looked like a mere skeleton with skin. His face was sunken, making his glazed eyes the most prominent feature on his face. There was also blood trickling down his legs and the sand beneath his feet was filthy.

_What did you expect, _my internal voice hissed, _it's not like you gave him a place to go to the bathroom._

I wanted to turn away, to close my eyes and pretend this horror never happened but the fact remained that it did and it was my job as pharaoh to fix it.

I walked a little closer, my eyes widening as I realized that it wasn't only blood and urine staining the sand.

"…You raped him." An intense rage filled me as I realized this fact, and I whipped my head around to glare at the guards again.

The oldest one's eyes widened as I pinned my accusing gaze on him and he had to swallow several times before he found his voice.

At least he realized how much trouble he and his buddies were in.

"You all are coming with me. Actually, everyone here is coming with me." I turned and looked at Bakura, but his head was down and it looked like he had fallen unconscious.

"Including him…." I turned to one of my escorts and waved my hand towards the palace, "Go retrieve Isis and a healer. Return with them and something to help us bring Bakura back."

This had gone on for far too long.

The guard immediately bowed and mounted his horse, riding off towards the palace in a flash.

"Bakura?" I turned towards the thief, though he hadn't moved any and it didn't seem like he was going to any time soon.

Sure enough I got no response and I made a motion with my hand to call two of my escorts over, "Cut him down but be gentle. I don't want him hitting the ground."

The two guards nodded and got to work on cutting Bakura down from the wooden stakes.

I watched for a bit, hand over my mouth as I tried to hide my expression of pure horror, though it really wasn't working too well.

The thief wasn't my only concern in the moment right now however…

Turning around, I fixed my gaze on the sad group of guards I had stationed up here to watch Bakura. Things were about to get very ugly.

"I cannot believe how despicable and how crude…" The words were failing me, and I really wanted to do was take out my sword and teach them a lesson with a swift blade to the throat.

"As palace guards, you are acting in my stead as pharaoh!" I held my arms out, eyes narrowed in disgust, "So tell me, what possessed you to act in such a disgraceful and appalling manner?!"

None of the guards spoke, looking to each other with worried gazes while the youngest one pulled his clothes back on and huddled in on himself.

"Well? I am waiting for an answer!"

The guards looked to one another before their leader moved forward, dropping to his knees before me, "My Pharaoh…We…We didn't think-"

"Well that much is obvious! Let me guess, you thought I wouldn't find out, or that if I did I wouldn't care because he is just some criminal right?"

The leader flinched, keeping his eyes fixed on the sand at my feet, "…Yes my pharaoh."

"You actually believed I would condone such appalling actions, even to a thief? You think I would allow you to sink that low?!" I was getting really angry, and if these guards had any sense at all, they wouldn't argue their point any further.

"My Pharaoh-"

"Do not SPEAK when I am talking!" I stomped my foot into the ground, causing the guard to flinch away. Yeah, he better be afraid of me.

"You are all going to spend time in the dungeons for your despicable actions, and you will remain there until I feel like you have learned your lesson!"

The guards looked horrified, but none of them spoke, finally learning that I meant business.

"Sir, we released the thief."

I turned at the prompting of my guard, giving him a nod of approval. "Good, now we will just wait until help arrives."

My guard gave a light bow, and he and his partner carefully sat Bakura down on the sand, the thief letting out a low moan of pain.

Guilt tore at my heart as I looked at thief, thinking about how much I had wronged him. Letting out a light sigh, I walked over to him, kneeling and running my fingers through the messy mop of white hair, "I will make it up to you Bakura…I promise."

Bakura's response was nothing but silence, but I was quite grateful for his unconsciousness.

Even with his injuries, I believe he would put up a huge fuss about what was currently going on.

"My pharaoh!"

I turned as the sound of horses running approached, and I was shocked to see Isis already.

"Isis? I was sure it would take you much longer than this….Unless you had a vision." I should have known.

My priestess gave a half apologetic smile and shrugged slightly, "I knew you would need some help, so I thought I would save us both some time."

I shook my head, a small smile on my face as I motioned Isis to approach, "Of course. Well good then. Come, we need to get Bakura back to the palace as soon as possible."

The thief was still lying unconscious where the guards had untied him, looking worse by the minute.

Isis let out a small sound of horror, moving past me to kneel by Bakura, instantly beginning a small prayer for his health and safety.

"My king…" I turned and looked as two servants approached, pulling behind them a cart that had been brought by one of the horses, "You can use this to help bring the prisoner back."

I opened my mouth to correct them and say that he was no longer a prisoner, but Isis spoke up, interrupting my thoughts as she finished her prayers.

"Thank you. We will need it."

Isis gave me a semi-stern look before pointing over to where Bakura lay, "He really needs to be the focus of our attention right now your majesty."

I nodded and walked with her, motioning for the servants to bring the cart behind us. "Be gentle. Treat him as if he were a guest of the palace from now on."

The servants immediately went to work, two laying down blankets in the floor of the car while the other two helped Isis and I lift Bakura gently onto it.

The thief let out a light groan, but it was the only thing that was heard the whole time, which was a bit concerning.

"He needs some food and water."

I looked up as the injured guard from earlier approached, worry in his gaze as he looked to Bakura, "He hasn't had anything in a long time."

"Of course, we will make sure we get him awake and drinking something once we get back to the palace okay?" Isis smiled warmly and gently stepped down from the cart, motioning for the young guard to sit on the edge, "Why don't you ride with him Hori, and make sure that he doesn't become too jostled from the ride okay?"

Hori nodded and eased himself on the cart's back end, shooting glances to Bakura every now and again.

Letting out a soft sigh, I turned to the other guards who had been the source of all this trouble. The three of them were still kneeled where I had scolded them, either too afraid to move or smart enough to know that if they ran they wouldn't make it very far before my personal guards struck them down.

"As for you three…" I chuckled and walked over to them, making the one visibly shiver, "You three can walk back to the palace on foot, the same way you brought Bakura here."

I snapped my fingers, causing my personal guards to appear at my side instantly, "Tie these men up and escort them back to the palace dungeons. They will remain there until I can figure out what I should do with such rogues."

I was answered with a chorus of 'yes sir' and immediately the other guards, now criminals, were surrounded from all sides.

Sighing I mounted my horse, nodding to the other guards to begin moving back to the palace. It looked like we all were all in for a long night tonight.

The first thing I did when we arrived back at the palace was make sure that Bakura was situated comfortably in one of our most luxurious guest rooms.

Waiting until the healers arrived, Isis and I tried to make sure Bakura wasn't going to die on us. His breathing was shallow, bones showing through his skin and pulse weak. He was alive though, and at the moment that was all that really mattered.

"My King…" Isis' tone set me on edge, and I really didn't want to hear what would come out of her mouth next.

"Isis, unless the news absolutely cannot wait until tomorrow-"

"He will live."

I blinked, startled by the words out of her mouth, "He will?"

My priestess nodded, though the look in her eyes was still sad, "He just has a long road ahead of him is all…"

I could tell that there was something else she wanted to say, but was reluctant to voice it.

"If that isn't what is bothering you, then what is?"

Isis slowly turned towards me, that maddening depressive look still in her eyes, "It's not so much Bakura my King, it is what will happen to you."

"Me?" I frowned, a sinking feeling beginning to form in the pits of my stomach.

My priestess nodded, concern still there, but something else as well. Was that satisfaction? "Everything will be revealed in due time, but for now we have other concerns."

I nodded numbly as Isis stood and walked towards the door, exiting just as the healers walked in.

Needless to say I didn't sleep much that night.


End file.
